Because it was Lauren of The Little Things We Do's birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday Lauren!), she posted a birthday edition of her "Fill in the Blank Friday" series.  I already wrote a post today, but it's my birthday in four days so I figured I can post twice today. (It's my birthday and I'll post twice if I want to, twice if I want to...)

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1. Birthdays are different than they used to be.  I used to be huge about my birthday - who doesn't love their own personal holiday?  But after 30, their importance just dwindled.  And this year, with Nate, it feels completely irrelevant.

2. My favorite birthday memory is a tie between 16, 25, and 30.  16: my parents rented a condo down the shore and we spent the week there.  As a 16 year old, anything that got me away from my hometown and my incredibly boring summers made me happy.  I was able to wander around the boardwalk by myself or with my sibs and keep to myself instead of being home and feeling bad about not having more friends.

25: I decided my party should be at Mike's in Baltimore so I rounded up my friends from NY/NJ and drove to MD at about 100mph and we had a great party.  So great the cops showed up.  So great that I believe I explained they couldn't arrest me for being loud or send me home "becuz it's my birfday!"  I loved being 25.

30: Three decades, three parties: one with family, one with local friends, one in Baltimore.

I just realized, turning 35 this year, I should be having a party in Baltimore.

3. A birthday tradition I (or my family) has is ice cream cake.  Having an August birthday means always having ice cream cake, which is fine by me.

4. If I had to choose one birthday meal to eat for the rest of my birthdays hence forward, I would choose pizza, much to the hubby's chagrin.  What can I say, I love pizza (real pizza, pizzeria pizza, not like Domino's or something).

5. My birthday is on August 17th - this Tuesday!  (At 11:51pm if you want to be specific)

6. If I could take a birthday trip, I would go to Paris, sit at a sidewalk cafe, order a cafe latte and a croissant, people watch, and eavesdrop in French.

7. The best gift I've ever received for my birthday was ... wow, I'm drawing a blank.  That kind of sucks for anyone who's ever given me a present.  I've gotten some great presents (a bike, things from Etsy, jewelry) but I can't think of something that's the one best gift ever.  If I come up with something later, I'll revise this but I've been thinking about it all day and haven't come up with one.  I think it's just that my birthdays have always been more about having dinner with family and friends and not about the gifts.  I'd rather have the gift of time with the ones I love.

How about you all?

P.S. Happy Friday the 13th!!

I know I can't be alone on this, but I have never read anything about RSVP behavior - a behavior I only recently disclosed to my sister, but which she confirmed she also does.

And, no, I'm not talking about the bad habit of not responding to RSVP requests.  (I mean, really - why do so many people ignore RSVP requests?  Don't they understand the purpose is to plan?  Parties require food and favors and things like that - things that require a rough head count.  You can't assume you're the only one not responding because, trust me, you're not.)

But I digress... what I'm talking about here is the secret joy I get when someone RSVPs "no" to a party.

Yes, I said it.  I'm happy when people say they can't make it to a party I'm arranging.

I know.  I'm an ingrate, clearly.  But hear me out, s'il vous plait.  (Did you know that means "please"?  That's what the "SVP" in "RSVP" is.  "R" is respondez.  And thus ends your French lesson for today.)

When I'm having an event, like a bridal or baby shower or, like now, a baptism, the costs add up.  Before you know it, you've spent hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars on food, tableware, decorations, favors, etc (nevermind a gift if it's a shower).  This doesn't mean I'm unhappy to throw these events.  Quite the opposite - I loooove planning a huge party (planning my wedding was sooo fun), but there are always people I'm super excited to have there, people I'm glad to have there, and people I don't really feel one way or the other about.

Yes, I said that, too.  We don't all absolutely adore every single person we have to see at family events.  So it goes, right?

I'm lucky in that I do really love my whole family, quirks and all.  And I'm lucky enough to see most of them pretty frequently.  And I never see my friends often enough, so I'm always happy to see them (and there's nothing like sharing a quick grin with friends when someone does something unintentionally funny).  But there are other people we invite to these types of things.  People we like (or, sometimes, people we actually don't like) who can't make it.  Sure, someone will miss having them there, but when they tell me they can't make it, I think "Oh good.  That's $$$ off the bill."

So there.  I've outed myself.  There are times I'm happy when someone RSVPs no.  Some of you have got to be with me on this, n'est-ce pas? 

And for those of you who haven't come across this glee yet, I do have one caveat: for every surprise "no" RSVP, there will be a surprise "yes" RSVP.  (Really?  They decided to come? But we haven't spoken for years!)  So it all somehow balances out in the end.  It's the Murphy's Law of party RSVPs.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to staring at the invitation spreadsheet and trying to guess who might not come.

Edit 5:10pm - As though the universe read this and wanted to have a chuckle on my behalf, I got the mother of all not expected "yes" RSVPs today - people who haven't attended anything since I was in high school.  That said, this isn't an "Oh no, they're coming?" RSVP.  It's surprising, but happily so.  I feel honored that they've chosen Nate's baptism to be together with us again.

Now back to guessing on the rest of the list...